Bend & Break
by Smitti
Summary: We all make mistakes. Over a decade later, Kim finds herself facing her biggest one.
1. Chapter 1

**Note** : I do not own Kim Possible. If I did, I would be a very happy Lass.

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**Bend and Break**

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"Why would you do this to me?"

The question had hung in the exact spot where he had asked it for years, haunting her every time she would pass through it like a clout of smoke. She remembered the moment all too well; he had stood in her living room, his eyes large with the idea that she could betray him, his fists clenched at his sides. Never in all the years that she had known him had he looked the way he had. The boy she grew up with was always happy, care-free, and unscathed from the world. But the boy that had stood before her that day was none of those things. He was heart-broken, deceived. He was hurt so deeply he was nearly unrecognizable.

And _she_ had done it to him.

Kim Possible was the girl that could do anything. For her whole life, things came easily to her. She was popular, had good grades, achieved great things. But even the strongest structures begin to crumple and so came down her fortress of fortune, all at once. She didn't know exactly what went wrong. One moment, she had found the man of her dreams in her best friend, Ron Stoppable … And then the next, she was caught in the blinding rays of another pretty face.

"Why would you do this to me?" he had asked that day. The million dollar question, and her only response was in a choked whisper, "I don't know, Ron."

She really didn't at the time, but as years went by, as Ron's image slowly faded away from that spot in her living room, Kim began to know all too well. It haunted her every time she came home from college. Every time she would pass through the door and open her mouth to greet her family, she would be slammed in the face with the memory and all the realizations that came with it.

She took him for granted. Always had. Ron had been there from nearly day one, and Kim naively assumed he would be there until the end. Through her faults, through her quirks, he stuck with her. _It was just a kiss_, she had reasoned with herself. _Ron will understand my weakness for pretty boys, he will forgive me, just like he has had all those times before._

But, she couldn't have been more wrong.

Time was the biggest proof of her mistake. A rift had been formed between them and naturally, they moved farther apart. Kim moved out for college a few months later, still heart-broken and guilt-ridden, never to hear from him again. Ron Stoppable had become just another chapter in her book.

Now, twelve years later, a strange but familiar beeping could be heard through a large, city flat, muffled by the drawer in was contained it. A flop of red hair stirred on the bed, before an arm snaked out of the thick covers to retrieve the calling object. Even though it had been over a decade, the red-head operated it like it was second nature and the screen lit to a man well into his twenties.

He smiled wryly. "Hello Kim."

"Wade," she replied back, shaking off the sleep. "It's been a while, hasn't it?"

"Yeah, it's been a while."

She smiled a little. "Not that I'm unhappy to finally talk to you, but I'm no longer in the saving the world business. What do I owe this call at such an early hour?"

"Sorry about the time. I didn't realize it was so early, but I had to call you. I think you might want to know about this."

She couldn't help herself; she answered with a gleam, "What's the sitch?"

His dark face sobered instantly and Kim instinctually held her breath. "It's Ron," he answered. "He needs you."

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Like it? I know, it's short, but this is my first time writing a fanfic. Let me know what you think!


	2. Chapter 2

**Bend & Break**

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"And you agreed to go?"

Kim looked up from the last of her hastily eaten breakfast, meeting the perplexed face of her fiancé from across the counter. "Yes, Scott. He's my best friend."

"_Was_ Kim. He _was _your best friend."

Kim shook her head and carried her plate to the trash, dumping the last of it away. "Look, I don't expect you to understand. I need to do this."

"Well, did the computer guy at least say what it was all about?"

"No. Wade just said Ron needs me and gave me the address."

Scott spun from the counter in a huff, running a hand down his face. "Jesus, Kim. We had this trip planned for months! Then as soon as you get a call about some guy you haven't seen in _years_, you drop everything."

"I'll make it up to you, I swear." She crossed the large kitchen and reached for his arm, tenderly touching it. "Please understand, Scott."

He looked at her, his brow furrowed. "I really don't get it. I don't. I thought Hawaii meant a lot to you."

"We will go. I swear. But right now, precious time is wasting. I have to fly out as soon as I can."

"I thought you gave up this whole hero bid."

She half smiled. "This is more than that." She grabbed for her keys and her purse from the counter, then tiptoed up to give him a kiss. "I will call you tonight and I'll let you know everything." She backed her way toward the door, never breaking eye contact. "Don't worry, okay?"

Scott just shook his head, watching as she bent to pick up her bag, blew him a kiss and disappeared from the apartment. "Wonderful," he grumbled under his breath.

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To Kim, it seemed she had all the time in the world to think up every possible scenario for what awaited her at that address. She drove herself crazy during the plane ride, thinking he was hurt, he was stuck, he was hospitalized … he was in danger of any kind. But as her rental lulled to a stop in front of a white suburbia home, every scenario flew from her thoughts and she was left with only one question: _what?_

She slowly pulled into the short drive, shoved the car in gear and reached for the slip of paper baring the address. Yes, that was it.

What was Ron doing here?

She furrowed her brow and slowly got out of the vehicle. As she approached, her eyes ran over the white columns guarding the front door, the large bay window just the right of them and the well kept garden on either side of the walkway. The place was—to put it simply—beautiful.

Kim found herself hesitating at the door, her finger extended over the doorbell. Maybe Wade had gotten it wrong? Maybe this all had been a complete mistake? Maybe—

The door jerked open and Kim jumped back, surprised. The woman that stood in the doorway was as equally surprised, but for an entirely different reason.

"Kimberly?"

Kim blinked, realizing just who stood before her. The woman's hair was graying, with wrinkles forming at the corners of her eyes and mouth. Time had started to take its toll, but she was still lean and healthy as ever. She was still the person who Kim remembered so long ago...

"Mrs. Stoppable," Kim breathed. "It's been …"

"I know," she replied, pulling her into a hug. "Too long."

Memories came flooding back like a crack in a dam, but Kim fought to blink them away. There was a greater task at hand.

Kim stepped back and tried a smile. "How are things?"

"Okay," Joan Stoppable said with a small nod. She swallowed and gave a little shrug. "I could be better. But, we all could I guess."

Kim furrowed her brow a bit, but before she could ask, the older woman was ushering her inside. "Come on in. Can I take your jacket?"

"Sure," Kim replied, still a little dazed. She slid out of her coat and handed it over, before her eyes slid over the interior of the room. The walls were a rich red with white trim, and the furniture were dark oaks, cozy and inviting. Her eyes were drawn to a black and white framed photograph, a lake with trees surrounding it. It took her a moment to realize it was Middleton Lake.

"Hi."

Kim instantly stilled at the small voice and slowly turned to find a pair of large brown eyes staring up at her, surrounded by brunette curls and freckled cheeks. The little girl stood in the middle of the room, her height reaching no higher than Kim's waist.

"Hi," Kim answered back, hesitant.

"You here to see mommy?" the little girl asked.

Kim craned her head in confusion, her mouth open to answer, when Joan re-entered the room. The older woman paused at the sight of the little girl before she forced a smile.

"Gracie, hun, go upstairs and get your dad. Okay?"

The little girl nodded and darted off, leaving the two women alone. Kim turned from where the girl had disappeared to her old friend's mom, the question on her lips.

But Joan asked a question instead, "Are you going to the service tomorrow?"

"The service?"

Joan looked at her funny. "What? You don't know?"

Kim's world halted on its axis and every possible fear came barreling down on her, threatening to suffocate her. She suddenly found it very difficult to breathe.

"Who… whose service?"

The answer came from behind her. "My wife's."

Kim spun around to face a man descending the steps. He was tall and lean, with sandy blonde hair that splayed across his head in an untamable fashion. His freckles had long since faded away, unearthing the face of an adult. As he came to a stop on the last step, one hand on the banister, Kim felt her jaw unhinge.

"Kim," he said softly. "What are you doing here?"

For the second time, Kim found it difficult to breathe.


	3. Chapter 3

Author's Note: Sorry it took so long to post a new chapter! All your feedback has been amazing. Thanks guys! Keep it up, that's what keeps me going:)

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"What are you doing here?" Ron repeated, his eyebrows furrowed.

"I …" Kim suddenly couldn't get her mouth to do anything but hang open on that one word, her brain too busy drinking in the sight of him to formulate a proper response. He looked so different. He wore a light blue button-down with pressed slacks. He was taller and his hair had darkened slightly over time. He had slowly filled out, no longer the scrawny cheer team mascot. But, it was his eyes that had changed the most—the eyes that Kim had once found comfort in were now so vacant and lifeless. They were now the eyes of a man who had suffered a great deal.

He slowly moved down the last of the stairs and took a few steps toward her. "Kim?"

"Wade," she blurted. "He called me."

"Wade?" Ron whispered, more to himself. "How did he …?"

Kim tried a little smile. "How does he ever?"

Ron nodded, his mouth in a firm, straight line. There was an awkward silence that followed, one that sucked up all the air in the room, until finally Joan cut through it.

"Honey, do you want me to make you something to eat? Everyone is going to get here soon and –"

"No," Ron answered. "I'm fine."

"But, you haven't eaten –"

"I'm fine, mom. It's okay."

"Alright," she sighed. She looked between the two, before adding, "I'll be in the other room if you need me. It was nice seeing you again, Kimberly."

Kim gave her a small smile. "You too, Mrs. Stoppable."

With one last look, the woman turned and bustled out of the room, leaving the pair to stare at each other as if they had to rememorize the other's face.

For the longest of moments, neither one said a word. They stared at each other, too aware of the fact that they both had changed, that it no longer felt like it once had. There was an awkwardness that had never been there, a tension too dense to ignore. Time had changed them into strangers.

"You have a daughter?" Kim asked softly, biting through the silence.

"Yeah."

"She's beautiful. She looks just like you."

Ron's eyes never left her face. "She looks a lot like her mother."

Kim swallowed hard. "I'm sorry about … everything. And now. I'm sorry about your loss." She took a breath, desperate for anything to say. "Who … who was she?"

He looked away and moved passed her into the living room, and Kim turned, staring at his back. For a moment, he didn't move, staring across the room as if he were waiting for the walls to open up. Finally, he turned back to her. "She was my best friend."

Kim flinched as if she were struck. She dropped her eyes and felt a wave of shame wash over her, the pain of old wounds reopening. "I'm sorry, Ron," she whispered. "I'm sorry for everything. It's been hard for me ever since--"

"Did you come here to make this about you?" he said abruptly and she looked up in surprise. "Because if you have, you can leave right now."

She stared at him wide-eyed. The Ron she knew would never have talked to her like that, would never have pushed the right buttons so cruelly.

"I just … I just want to be there for you," she whispered.

"Why?" Ron barked. "Why now?"

"I--"

"Where were you when my dad died? Where were you when Rufus died?" he asked, moving toward her. "When I was married? When my daughter was born? Where were you, Kim?" He stopped close to her, his eyes penetrating and unforgiving, and Kim stared back, for the first time scared of him.

"I'm sorry," she said softly, her eyes burning.

"Just words, Kim."

Before she could say anything, the doorbell chimed, the cheerful tone mocking and spiteful. Immediately, Ron stepped back, but never took his eyes off her.

Joan bustled into the room. "They are arriving," she said, unnecessarily. Neither one answered her.

Ron's mom went to the door and opened it, and people came flooding in, surrounded by clouds of false cheer. It wasn't until they moved toward Ron did he peel his eyes away from Kim. As they gave him hugs and their condolences, she simply faded into the background, relieved and hurt at the same time.

There were pictures on a table toward the back of the room and Kim moved toward them. They were black and white, memories caught and framed of a small family; a mother, a father and a little girl with freckled cheeks and a pudgy smile. Kim's eyes fell upon the woman, on her smile, on her eyes. She was dark haired and was just dazzling, with a face that glowed with warmth and personality. Instantly, Kim was jealous of her, of her life she had with her best friend, of the life she brought into this world. She had her arms wrapped around her husband, holding him tight, his smile as large as hers. They looked happy.

Kim sighed. She was envious of a dead woman.

"Gwen was beautiful, wasn't she?"

Kim looked over her shoulder, finding a woman standing there. She recognized her as one of Ron's cousins, but she couldn't remember which.

"Yes, she was," Kim answered.

"It's horrible how she died. So sad."

Kim turned back to the picture, staring at the smiling married couple. "How did she die?"

"You don't know? She was shot."

Kim spun to face her. "What?"

"There was a robbery. Gwen wouldn't cooperate. The goons killed her, and all for three-hundred bucks in the till."

Kim stared at the woman, shocked by it. But, before she could say anything, the woman moved away, falling into the small crowd that was heading into the other room. Kim slowly turned her eyes, finding Ron standing alone in the middle of the room, staring at her.

"You gave up the hero business a little too early," he said.

Kim gaped at him, unable to get any words passed her lips. What could she say? What could she possibly say?

"Ron, honey," Joan said from the room's threshold. "We are going to get started in a little bit." Ron's mom turned to look at Kim. "Kim, there's a seat for you with us."

Kim gave Ron a quick look. "I don't think …"

"You can sit with us," Ron replied. As his mother turned back into the room, he approached, saying as he passed, "It's the front row. Wouldn't want to miss this."

Kim watched his back as he disappeared out of the room, feeling as if she had thorns in every inch of her skin.

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